A Different Kind of Shy
by Steampunk Kimono
Summary: Grell has loved Will for a long time, deeper than anyone could ever know. But, behind all that flamboyancy is a shy person that needs love. Grelliam, rating may go up to M because we know how Grell can get. First fanfic!
1. Caught Off Guard

_This is my first fanfic so I hope you all like it! All characters belong to Yana Toboso (genius!)_

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

The Grim Reaper Department Building was completely silent. It was so unlike this when it was daytime, what with reapers dispatching to collect cinematic records, arguing over the people on the To-Die List, the occasional sound of a death scythe whirring to life. But now, all the shinigamis had retired to their chambers and the office was completely quiet, save for the drumming of rain upon the rooftop.

William looked up at the clock above his door. 11:34 pm. He had been at work for precisely three hours and forty-nine minutes more than necessary. Overtime did not bother him, though. People did not cease to die because the lights went out. Yet, it had proved to be a peaceful evening. There hadn't been any deaths that night. So, to make use of his time, he had caught up on back-logged souls.

William had been slowly drifting in and out of sleep for hours, and decided it was time for him to rest. He checked the To-Die List one more time, running his fingers along the pages. The next death was scheduled for 10:28 am, on the following morning, freeing up enough time for him to indulge in a peaceful sleep.

William organized his papers neatly, rose from his chair, and crossed to the double doors located to his right. He produced a key from his coat pocket and unlocked the entrance to his bedroom.

Once inside, the reaper shut the doors, lit a candle, placed his death scythe on a hanging stand, and sat down on his bed. Everything that William owned was high-quality. He stored his expensive ties in his fine mahogany armoire, and slept on silken sheets and feather pillows. Will was a very studious and work-bound man and preferred to have his bedchambers located in his office, for easier access.

He proceeded to unbutton his coat, remove his vest, and loosen his tie. The reaper then hung his garments on hangers, placed them in his meticulously organized armoire, and cast his glasses onto his bedside table. Will hadn't slept for days, and he deserved a good night's rest. He blew out the candle, curled up on his bed, and fell asleep.

A warm hand snaked its way across William's waist and rested on his abdomen. Will, half-asleep, shuddered at the heat and blinked his eyes open. Everything was blurry, mainly because his vision was impaired, but the darkness that enveloped him made it increasingly hard to define anything.

Will's hand fumbled in the dark, searching for his glasses. His hand fell upon a packet of matches and he locked his fingers around it. Dazed, he extracted a match, struck it against the packet, and lit a candle. Now, he could make out the silhouette of his glasses and settled them on the bridge of his nose. He looked over to see what still had it's hand curled around his waist. It was HIM.

A familiar face loomed over him. It was easy to recognize, even in the dim light. His feminine build, his porcelain skin framed by long locks of red hair, those green flashing eyes and that seductive grin that, Will thought, matched the Chesire cat perfectly. "Grell Sutcliff." he stated flatly.

"Oh, why did you have to wake up?" Grell said affectionately. "You look so sweet when you're asleep."

The composed William calmly responded to the flamboyant reaper. "Grell. How did you know that this was my bedroom?" he asked, rather disturbed to see his co-worker lurking in his chambers.

"What are you talking about? I wait behind those doors every night. I was just lucky to find the door unlocked on this marvelous evening! It was too tantalizing NOT to take advantage of this opportunity!" Grell said, with a flirtatious flip of his hair.

'Right,' William thought, his hands clenching his bedsheets. 'I forgot to lock the door.'

William sat up and carefully eyed his gender-confused co-worker. He was wearing black tailored trousers, a white button-up shirt (with the top two buttons undone, exposing his chest), and a necktie hanging loosely around his shoulders. He was flashing him a devilish grin while batting his eyelashes behind his red-framed glasses. Then, William looked himself over and realized that there were small, pinkish blemishes covering his neck and abdomen. He had also been stripped of his trousers and his silk tie had been strewn carelessly across the floor. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. How long had he been asleep?

Grell snuggled his head in the crook of William's arm and began to kiss his shoulders. Will slapped him away and firmly planted his hands on Grell's waist, trying to pry the shinigami off of his body. "I'm afraid it was you that woke me up. You are such a nuisance, Sutcliff."

"Oh, well aren't I just the worst?" Grell said, edging closer to the other reaper. He ran his hand through William's raven-black hair and smiled.

In one fluent motion, William grasped his death scythe, secured the two claws firmly, but not so as to draw blood, around Grell's neck, lifted him up, and flung him through the double doors. Grell landed with a crash, peeked back inside his superior's bedroom, and sang, "Goodbye, my love, see you at 8 am sharp!" before trotting out of the office. He listened as the clopping of the redhead's heels faded into the distance. William rubbed his temples, tossed off his glasses, snuffed out the candle, and wearily fell asleep.

_What did you think? Should I continue?_


	2. A Rude Awakening

_Hello again! Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 1! I won't be able to update this story as often, but I'll post as soon as I can. I'm striving for next week! All characters belong to Yana Toboso, the Shakespeare of manga and anime. Enjoy!_

__**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

Will peeled back his eyelids and sat up. His head was throbbing and his back was stiff. After that pitiful encounter with Grell, he had been welcomed to a night of tossing and turning, and Will was not usually a restless sleeper. He forced himself into a standing position, feeling the silken sheets slide off of his body as he made his way to his bathroom. Will's head ached terribly, and he decided he would take a shower and then have a strong cup of tea.

He gazed into his bathroom mirror, and saw that his hair was unkempt and mangled, and the pink blemishes showered on his neck and chest had taken on a reddish hue. Grell would be gratified to find that he had left his mark on William in his most favorite of colors.

He stepped into the shower, and let the hot water rush over him. He scrubbed away all of the disturbing images from the previous night's encounter with his co-worker. Steam filled the small room and dissolved the throbbing in William's head. The reaper shut off the water, dried himself off, and tended to the red blemishes that Grell had left for him.

After combing his hair, William selected a crisp black suit from his armoire and slipped it on. He pushes his glasses to the bridge of his nose and looked in the mirror. He felt professional. In this suit, nothing had happened last night. 7:53 am. Precisely three hours and fifteen minutes until the death. The reaper plucked his death scythe from it's stand, inhaled deeply, and exited his chambers, ready to take on the day.

The confident William strode out of his office and into the main hall of the building. The shinigamis were emerging from their chambers and split off into different directions, some going to their offices or to the library where the cinematic records were kept, or the lounge, where Will was headed. The difference was that, he, unlike the other reapers, didn't intend to stay there long.

He turned his head left and right to ensure that a certain redhead wouldn't follow him. He allowed himself to release a small sigh of relief, so small that no one noticed. Will took a right and walked towards the lounge to pour himself a needed cup of tea.

William was approached by Ronald Knox, another shinigami who worked in the dispatch division. "Hi Will!" he exclaimed.

"Ronald Knox," William responded flatly, not wanting to talk to his colleague. Word was probably already spreading about his encounter with Grell. "I trust that you have completed your overdue paperwork?"

Ronald blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...well, almost...um..." He tried to change the subject. "So, how did you sleep last night? I slept wonder-"

"Terrible." William stated. Ronald looked at him curiously before arriving at the lounge. Silently, the two entered.

A red blur raced across the room towards Will. He was unprepared though, and the next thing he knew, he was slammed onto the polished wood floor, with Grell on top of him, covering him with gentle kisses and running his hand through Will's raven-black hair.

Will tried to get up, to fling this mentally-confused redhead out of the nearest window, but Grell had pinned his legs and arms to the ground with his body.

"God dammit, Grell! Get the hell off of me!" Will demanded, dropping his usual stoic expression.

Grell, completely ignoring his commands, wrapped his arms around William's neck and burrowed his head into the other male's chest. "I take it that you slept well after I left, darling?" Damn, everyone was asking him that question today.

"Umm... Senpai? After he left?"

Will looked up from the mess of untangling the redhead from his body to see the entire Dispatch Division staring at the spectacle before them.

_Thanks to everyone bothering to read my story. I appreciate it so much! The next chapter or the chapter after that one may contain some heavy stuff, by the way. Love you all, ladies and gents!_


	3. Poetry Always Helps

_Hello again! I wasn't expecting to update so soon, but I'm sick and off from school today, so I had a lot of time on my hands. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 1&2. I really appreciate it! Grell, William, and Ronald(God's gift to women) belong to Yana Toboso._

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

This couldn't be happening. William's subordinates did not just see this display. They couldn't have. It was just unthinkable. William was famous in the Dispatch Department for his mask of composure, and they had all seen him drop his guard, lose his expressionless demeanor, and be molested by an androgynous shinigami. And now his subordinates probably thought they were lovers. God dammit, that man was going to pay for this.

Will wiped his face clear of emotion and, still on the ground, faced his coworkers. "Yes, Knox. After he left. Now, if you would be so kind, Sutcliff, as to remove yourself from my body and bring me a cup of tea."

With an irritated huff, Grell detached himself from William and walked to the back of the break room in search of tea, mumbling something that sounded like, 'So cruel.'

"Honestly, Sutcliff." William muttered under his breath. He proceeded to stand up, flatten his suit, fix his tie, and adjust his glasses with his death scythe. "And Knox?"

Ronald looked up at him. "Yeah, Senpai?"

"I will expect your paperwork completed and on my desk by twelve today."

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

Grell ran into his office and slammed the door shut, blocking the entrance with his chair because there weren't any locks on the doors because of "management policies". He pulled out a small, red, leather notebook out of his file cabinet, took a pen from his desk, and sat down cross-legged on the floor. The redhead flipped to a blank page and began to write in red ink:

"Sauntering through this masquerade,

Hidden behind a perfected fade.

The first impression is a reflection,

Of self-imposed attempts at perfection.

I am lonely; I wish you would return my affections.

Thus is the curse of one-sided love."

A single tear dripped down Grell's cheek and landed on the paper. For some reason, writing always helped. William would never understand. The raven-haired man only saw the redhead as a nuisance, nothing more. As smart as he is, he would never see through the barrier that Grell had created over the years. And, as long as Grell kept it up, he wouldn't ever be rejected.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Grell hurriedly shut his notebook, threw it into the file cabinet, and removed the chair in front of the door. He fixed his hair and ran his index finger underneath his eyes to make sure that there weren't any tears before opening the door.

"Hi, Ronnie!" Grell exclaimed and pulled him into a tight hug. Ronald was really the only friend he had in the Dispatch Department, and the only one who knew about the redhead's real feelings towards William. "It's so good to see you!"

"Same here, Little Red."

"What are you doing here? Don't you have paperwork?"

"I actually already turned it in. Well, listen...I was in William-senpai's office turning in my paperwork, right? He asked me to tell you to go to his office immediately." Ronald offered a bittersweet smile at Grell's sudden trembling and pulled the man into a hug. "It'll be okay."

"Thanks, Ronnie." And with that, Grell hoisted his modified death scythe over his shoulder and left his office, fear painted on his porcelain skin.

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

William sat in his office, impatiently drumming his fingers on the desk. As much as the redhead irritated him, he had to admit that he was an extremely sufficient reaper. The To-Die list had changed since he had woken up this morning. There were now a total of twelve deaths in the same area, all only minutes apart. A massacre, he believed it to be. Will needed backup, and Grell was the one to accompany him for this. William sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did it have to be Sutcliff?

Grell burst through the doors to William's office with a flirtatious smile on his lips. He sauntered over to Will and planted a light kiss on his nose. William held his hand up and said,"No time for that now, th-"

"How about later?"

"There isn't much time, so don't hold me back. Take your death scythe, if we go into overtime, you will be compensated. We are going to reap the victims of a massacre."

_Sorry my chapters are so short, but hey, shorter chapters mean more updates, right? I really liked this chapter because it shows Grell's softer side. I've read a few fanfics that use "Little Red" as Grell's nickname. It's so cute! Thank you for reading and please review!_


	4. Bloody Kiss

_I'm back! I'm so sorry it took me forever to update! I've had writer's block and family problems and other stufftrike that. So please forgive me! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my work or even bothered to read it. I love you guys and hope you like chapter four! I don't own Kuroshitsuji (sadly)._

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

"A massacre? And you're sure of that?"

"Positive. It's actually a rather perplexing scenario. In the past hour, three names have been added to the already existing total of nine. Prior to that, the number of deaths has been increasing rapidly, as many as two more per hour, all in the same area and within minutes of eachother."

"So? You're a tough guy. What do you need me for?" Grell purred as he crept closer to Will, grasping his tie and pulling the raven haired man close,so his hot breath dusted over his superior's petal-pink lips. " Oh, I know," the redhead whispered seductively before planting a chaste kiss on William's flushed cheek. "You're afraid, aren't-"

"I've had quite enough, Sutcliff. Your antics are not only useless, but also a waste of my time, not to mention yours. We have, let's see...fifty-four minutes until the first death." He said after a quick glance at his pocket watch. "Now, if you would only cooperate and follow orders like any other self-respecting reaper, it would get you much further in this department." he finished with a stern and demeaning look at his subordinate.

Grell's demeanor changed dramatically. He tilted his head down so his blood-red hair shielded his eyes and murmered, "I'm sorry, William. I don't mean to be such a nuisance."

At that moment, something came over Will. He always chastised Grell, but this time, he had obviously treaded on a light subject. He didn't like the idea that he could bring pain upon the redhead. Somewhere in his heart, he enjoyed having Grell around, cared for him, maybe even loved him. That could never happen, though. Between work and overtime, there wasn't time to even think about a relationship. Grell's advances didn't mean anything, he was sure of it. There was no point in acknowledging them. But, good lord, he would do anything to call Grell "Little Red."

He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly threaded his fingers through his subordinate's bangs, brushing his soft hair behind his ears. William locked eyes with Grell's. His heart broke when he saw the redhead's bright green eyes brimming with tears. Without thinking, he cupped the other man's face in his hand and spoke softly to him. "Do not cry in my office, Sutcliff. It is not only annoying but very unprofessional." In reality, he had never liked seeing the other man cry

Grell looked up at him, tears streaming down his porcelain skin, a look of wonder plastered on his face. "Will? What do you need me for?" he said between sobs. "Why am I coming with you?"

Will cursed internally and removed his hand from Grell's cheek in favor of checking his pocket watch, carefully maintaining his stoic expression. "Fourty-seven minutes." He turned away from Grell and focused his energy on creating a portal to the human world. A spark shot out from his fingertips and formed a blue light in midair. Will delicately pulled and stretched it until it was large enough to fit two people. He stepped aside and made a sweeping motion with his hand indicating Grell to step through.

"No, I want to know why you wanted me to come with you." Grell said shyly, his arms crossed over his chest, trying to regain his composure.

"...Because I'm not sure what is going to happen. The whole situation is rather suspicious. Now, after you. We haven't much time."

Grell slung his death scythe over his shoulder and peered into the portal. He then wrapped his free hand around William's wrist and nodded. Before William could protest, they jumped through the portal together and landed on a roof in the human world; Fleet Street, to be exact.

Grell recognized the scenery automatically. "Will, isn't this the rooftop where we harvested our first soul? All those years ago in the academy? The raven haired man answered a simple 'yes.' It didn't mean anything to him, did it?

**.:|A Different Kind of Shy|:.**

Nothing mattered anymore. William was still trying to understand what had happened as he sat in a pool of blood with Grell in an alleyway, tending to his wounds. He could only remember fragments of what had happened. Collecting souls...Sebastian showing up...a storm of knives... Grell falling into his arms and staining his fine clothes with his blood...rain...

"Will..." A strained voice stirred William from his thoughts.

"What is it?" William asked, moving to cradle the other man's head.

Grell summoned whatever energy he had left to raise his trembling hand to Will's face, and stroked his cheek before drawing the other man close to him. "You need to know that...I've always...loved you. Don't let me die." he whispered before closing his eyes.

Realizing what was happening, William grabbed Grell and captured his lips, trying to pour all of his emotion into the kiss. Grell's eyes fluttered erratically. Realizing what was happening, the redhead kissed back weakly, softly smiling against the other man's lips. It didn't matter anymore if he died, because he had finally gotten what he had worked so long for.

"I love you William." He choked out before letting his eyelids droop.

_I hope that everyone liked the chapter and I apologize again for updating so late. I don't like this chapter as much as the others, but please tell me what you think! Thank you so much for your support!_


	5. Attention All Readers!

Sorry if I gave you guys a heart attack thinking I had updated. I just wanted to let you know that on June 21st (my birthday, yay!) I will be changing my name from Steampunk Kimono to Meirisin. If anyone has any interest in reading any of my stories, this is the name I will be operating under. Thanks to anyone who reads my work and I few a few fics in progress!


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